2017 SAFTAs: ZANews wins big... again

The 2017 edition of the SAFTAs took place this past week and, as we are all now used to, SA's only satirical news programme, ZANews Puppet Nation, won big once again.

The categories the show won are:

Best TV Comedy

Best Achievement in Directing - Comedy (Alex Fynn & Johannes Theodorus Vermaak )

Best Achievement in Post Production Sound Design - TV Comedy (Neil Benjamin)

Best Achievement in Art/Production Design - TV Comedy (Catherine Anne Jacot-Guillarmod, Racine Tanya Williams & Simone Rossouw)

With the show consistently receiving recognition for its work, it is surprising that it has not yet jumped to a television channel with a much bigger reach or another channel has not at least attempted to steal them away from StarSat. Also, consider the fact that they produce their show for a DStv audience and not a StarSat audience: They frequently make fun of news programming that is available exclusively on DStv. For example, one of their puppet co-hosts is Justice Malala. He is a personality seen only on eNCA which is available only on DStv so one can't expect the StarSat audience to connect with this character they don't really see too often. 

Yes, they do upload their episodes in their entirety for free on Youtube, but very few people find these episodes as very few know they exist in the first place. 

Other SAFTA highlights include:

 Nobody's Died Laughing winning best documentary film,
ZANews' sister show, Point of Order winning best game show,
SABC3's breakfast show, Expresso winning Best Variety Show, 

50/50 winning Best Magazine Show, 

Special Assignment's 'Spieners' episode beating out two Carte Blanche episodes for Best Current Affairs Actuality Programme